Composite overhead door structure



May 15, 1956 cs. BERRY 2,745,147

COMPOSITE OVERHEAD DOOR STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 4. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HIV! "wnmml FIG. 2

- INVENTOR.

GLENN Beeev A TTOQNE Y5.

May 15, 1956 G. BERRY COMPOSITE OVERHEAD DOOR STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 4. 1954 INVENTOR. GLEN/V BERRY ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 2,745,147 COMPOSITE OVERHEAD noon STRUCTURE v Glenn Berry, Pontiac, Mich.

Application November 4, 1954, Serial N 0. 466,837

16 Claims. (01. 20-49 F This invention relates to an overhead door structure adapted for use in garages and the like.

An overhead garage door usually has frame members for mounting on the door jambs, a doorpanel supported by vertically swinging arms pivoted on the frame members and tracks which carry the upper portion of the door in opening and closing. Heretofor'e the frame members and tracks have been individually mounted on the door jambs which has necessitated considerable time consuming maneuvering and adjustment of the parts for properly positioning the door panel. An object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive composite door structure which can be quickly and easily installed as a unit in a doorway. One form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partly diagrammatic side eievational view of a door according to this invention mounted in a doorway.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing details of construc-.

and the molding thereon.

2,745,147 Patented May 15,1956

ice

je'cting outwardly of the side edge .43 of the door and being temporarily securable to frame member 22 preferably by drive screws 49 (Fig. 4). Each strip 46 carries a bracket 52 having a shaft 53 with a roller 54 rotatable thereon andpositioned for engagement within track 39 when the latter is in operative position as shown in solid lines in Fig. 2.

The lower portion of each frame member 22 has a projection 57 extending across the crack or opening 58 between 'side' 48, of the door panel and the edge of jamb 31 (Fig. 4). The upper end of projection 57 is preferably folded back on itself (Fig. 7) to form a rounded panel 10 by drive screws 49. The assembly is then fitted into the doorway as a unit and after the door panel has been properly positioned, frame members 22 are secured to jambs 31 by screws 33. The pairs of apertures 39 are offset so that screws 33 may be placed to one side of joints or cracks such as the joint between a door jarnb The parts are now in the position illustrated in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5.

- Tracks 39 are swung upwardly and their distal ends 63 are adjusted to proper position relatively to the door panel. The tracks are suspended in adjusted, generally horizontal position, preferably by hangers 64 (Fig. 1) whose structure is disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 391,615, filed November 12, 1953. As the track is swung into operative position forwardend 3S thereof is'brought' into proper alignment with roller 54.

interior side of the door illustrating an intermediate step in the installation of the door. 1 I

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectionalview on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 isan enlarged sectional view on line 66 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, partly diagrammatic view illustrating the relation of weather stripping elements in closed position of the door. I

The door unit of this invention includes a door panel 10 with an arm 11 at each side of the door having one end 12 (Fig. 4) secured to a member 13 pivotally mounted between a side portion of the door panel and a rib 14 thereon as at 15 and 16. An adjustable brace 17 is secured between each arm 11 and element 13 to provide re-inforcing as more fully disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 403,265, filed January ll, 1954. Each arm 11 is intermediately pivoted as at 20 for vertical swinging on a bracket 21 secured to a frame member 22 and the free end 23 of each arm has one end of a counterbalance spring 24 secured thereto through a clip 25 whose structure is disclosed in Berry 2,704,376, issued March 22,

1955. The other end of each spring 24 is secured to a pin 26 anchored to a bracket 27 secured on frame member 22.

Each frame member 22 has a number of pairs ofoffset apertures 30 (Fig. 4) for being secured to jambs 31 defining a doorway in a building 32 by such means as screws 33. The doorway header is shown at 34. Each frame member has a flange 37 with the end portion 38 of a track 39 pivoted thereon preferably by means of a shouldered bolt 49 and nut 41. End 38 of each track has offset portions 42 and 43 for engaging opposite sides of flanges 37 (Figs. 2 and 6).

A strip 46 is permanently secured to the upper portion of each side of door panel 10 by bolts 47, each strip pro- Nut'41 is then tightened, which, together with offset elements 42 and 43 embracing flange 37, laterally stabilizes thetrack. Drive screws 49 are removed, freeing the door for. opening and closing movement. The door panel, frame members and tracks are properly positioned relatively to each other and relatively to jambs 31 and header 34..

Strip 46 and projection'57 provide weather stripping at the sides of the door. Their interengaging portions 60 and 59, respectively, are positioned substantially at the terminal axis of rotation of door panel 10 so that the panel may openand close freely.

I claim:

1. A door structure comprising, a frame adaptedto be mounted on jambs defining a doorway, a door panel, pivotal means fixed on said frame, said pivotal means mounting the panel on the'frame for swinging upwardly and downwardly for opening and closing and supporting said panel in closed position, track means supporting the upper portion of the door panel during opening and closing, said track means being adjustably secured on said frame, means fixing said panel to said frame to facilitate mounting said door structure as a unit in a doorway, the last said means being releasable to free the door panel for swinging movement after adjustment of said track means.

2. A door structure comprising, a frame adapted to be mounted on jambs defining a doorway, a door panel,

means mounting the panel on the frame for swinging upwardly and downwardly for opening and closing, support means at each upper corner of said panel, a track extending away from the doorway at each side of the door panel, said frame having a vertically extending flange at each side of the door panel, each track having one end pivoted to said frame in a position to receive said support means for supporting said panel during opening and closing, said track having its other end freely vertically movable for adjustable connection to a support, stabilizing means on each track engaging said frame at a location removed from the pivot in adjusted position of the track, each stabilizing means including offset elements engaging opposite sides of one of said flanges, means fixing said panel to said frame to facilitate mounting said door structure as a unit in a doorway, the last said means being releasable to free the door panel for swinging movement after adjustment of said track means.

3. A door structure comprising, a frame adapted to be mounted on jambs defining a doorway, a door panel, pivotal means fixed on said frame, said pivotal means mounting the panel on the frame for swinging upwardly and downwardly for opening and closing and supporting said panel in closed position, track means supporting the upper portion of the door panel during opening and closing, said track means being adjustably secured on said frame, elongate strip means longitudinally overlying at least a portion of the juncture between said panel and frame, means fixing said strip means to said panel and frame so that said strip means fasten the same together, whereby to facilitate mounting said door structure as a unit in a doorway, the last said means being detachable from said frame to free the door panel for swinging movement after adjustment of said track means.

4. A door structure comprising, a pair of frame members adapted to be mounted on jambs defining a doorway, a door panel, pivotal means fixed on each frame member and connected to said panel, said pivotal means being arranged so that said panel can be swung from a vertical closed position to a horizontal open position, said pivotal means being arranged to support the vertical load of said panel in closed position, said frame members extending substantially to the top of said panel, a pair of tracks, each track having one end portion secured to a top portion of one of said frame members, means fixing said panel to said frame members to facilitate mounting said door structure as a unit in a doorway, said tracks each. having a free end which is adjustable when said door structure is mounted in a doorway, the latter said means being releasable after adjustment of said track means to free the door panel for swinging movement.

5. A door structure comprising, a pair of frame members adapted to be mounted on jambs defining a doorway, a door panel, pivotal means fixed on each of said frame members and connected to said panel, said pivotal means being arranged so that said panel can be swung from a vertical closed position to a horizontal open position, said pivotal means being arranged to support said panel in closed position, said frame members extending generally from the bottom to the top of said panel, a strip permanently fixed at each upper side portion of said panel, said strip projecting laterally outwardly to overlie the upper portion of a crack between said panel and a door jamb, a pair of tracks, each track having one end portion secured to a top portion of one of said frame members, means fixing said strips to the upper portions of said frame members to fasten the same to said door panel, whereby to facilitate mounting said door structure as a unit in a doorway, said tracks each having a free end which is adjustable when said door structure is mounted in a doorway, the latter said means being releasable after adjustment of said track means to free the door panel for swinging.

6. A door structure comprising, a pair of frame members adapted to be mounted on jambs defining a doorway, a door panel, pivotal means fixed on each of said frame members and connected to said panel, said pivotal means being arranged so that said panel can be swung from a vertical closed position to a horizontal open position, said pivotal means being arranged to support said panel in closed position, a pair of track members, each track member having one end portion pivoted to a top portion of one of said frame members so that said door structure can be mounted as a unit in a doorway, said track members each having a free end which is adjustable when said door structure is mounted in a doorway, stabilizing means for each track member adjacent its pivotal mount on said frame member but spaced therefrom, said stabilizing means including projecting means on one of said members engaging a portion of the other of said members at a location removed from the pivot when said track member is in adjusted position.

7. A door structure comprising, frame means adapted to be mounted on jambs defining a doorway, means forming a door panel, pivotal means fixed on said frame means, said pivotal means being arranged to support the vertical load of said panel in closed position, said frame means extending substantially to the top of said panel, a pair of tracks, each track having one end portion secured to a top portion of said frame means, means fixing said panel to said frame means to facilitate mounting said door structure as a unit in a doorway, the last said means being releasable to free said door panel for swinging movement after said door structure has been mounted in a doorway.

. 8. A door structure comprising, a pair of frame members adapted to be mounted on jambs defining a doorway, a door panel, pivotal means fixed on each of said frame members and connected to said door panel, said pivotal means being arranged so that said panel can be swung from a vertically closed position to a horizontal open position, said pivotal means being arranged to support the vertical load of said panel in said closed position, said frame members extending generally to the top of said door panel when said panel is in closed position, a pair of tracks, each of said tracks having one end portion secured to a top portion of one of said frame members so that said door structure can be mounted as a unit in a doorway, said tracks each having a free end which is movable when said door structure is mounted in a doorway so that said tracks can be adjusted to proper position while said door structure is mounted as a unit in a doorway.

9. The combination defined in claim 8 wherein said one end of each track is pivotally mounted on a frame member.

10. A door structure comprising, frame means adapted to be mounted on jambs defining a doorway, a door panel, pivotal means fixed on said frame means and connected to said panel, said pivotal means being arranged so that said panel can be swung from a vertically closed position to a horizontal open position, said pivotal means being arranged to support the vertical load of said panel in said closed position, temporary fastening means secured to said door panel and to said frame means by drive screws so that said door panel and frame means can be mounted in a doorway as a unit, said fastening means being arranged so that when certain of said drive screws are removed said door panel can swing to said open and closed positions.

ll. A door structure comprising, a pair of frame members adapted to be mounted on jambs defining a doorway, a door panel, pivotal means fixed on each of said frame members and connected to said door panel so that said frame members are disposed at opposite sides of. said door panel, said pivotal means being arranged so that said panel can be swung from a vertical closed position to a horizontal open position, detachable means rigidly fixing said door panel and frame members together against relative vertical and lateral movement so that said door structure can be mounted in a doorway as a unit, said detachable means being arranged to permit swinging of said door panel to said open and closed positions after being detached following positioning of said door structure in a doorway.

12. A door structure comprising, a frame adapted to be mounted on jambs defining a doorway, a door panel, means mounting the panel on the frame for swinging upwardly and downwardly for opening and closing, support means at each upper corner of said panel, a track extending away from the doorway at each side of the door panel, said frame having a vertically extending flange at each side of the door panel, each track having one end pivotally connected to said flange in a position to receive said support means for supporting said panel during opening and closing, said track having its other end freely vertically movable for adjustable connection to a support, said track having a stabilizing bracket at said one end, said bracket being spaced from the pivotal connection of said one end to said flange, said bracket having spaced-apart fingers arranged to engage opposite sides of said flange when said track is swung to adjusted position whereby to provide lateral stability for the forward end of said track in adjusted position.

13. The combination defined in claim 12 wherein the free end of said bracket is slitted longitudinally to form said fingers, at least one of said fingers being laterally oflset so that said fingers engage the opposite sides of said flange in adjusted position of said track.

14. The combination defined in claim 12 wherein said track swings upwardly from a vertical position to a horizontal position in adjusting the same for receiving said support means, said track and bracket thereon being disposed above said pivot when said track is in horizontal position.

15. A door structure comprising, a frame adapted to be mounted on jambs defining a doorway, a door panel, means mounting the panel on the frame for swinging upwardly and downwardly for opening and closing, support means at each upper corner of said panel, a track extending away from the doorway at each side of the door panel, each track having one end pivoted to said frame in a position to receive said support means for supporting said panel during opening and closing, said track having its other end freely vertically movable for adjustable connection to a support, stabilizing means for said one end of each track, said stabilizing means including means on said track and said frame interengaging at a location spaced from the pivot in adjusted position of said track, means fixing said panel to said frame to facilitate mounting said door structure as a unit in a doorway, the last said means being releasable to free the door panel for swinging movement after adjustment of said track means.

16. The combination defined in claim 8 wherein said one end of each track is'mounted on a frame member through a shiftable, pivotal connection, and means operable to fix the position of said pivotal connection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,342,751 McCloud June 8, 1920 1,992,972 Sullivan Mar. 5 1935 2,010,658 Ferris Aug. 6, 1935 2,045,100 Robinson June 23, 1936 2,224,675 Graham Dec. 10, 1940 2,405,821 Ferris et al Aug. 13, 1946 

